Brussels, 08/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The communication by the European Commissioner with responsibility for external relations, Chris Patten, has caused quite a stir even before being debated by the Commission (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 7). In certain capitals, this brief paper is seen as a criticism of governments, which are accused of: trying to limit the Commission's role; not having a clear idea of the Union's priorities; lacking coherence because they are preparing or demanding strategies without releasing the necessary funds. Some national replies were apparently quite sharp, with Mr Patten being invited to act with available money (which is not negligible) instead of complaining. In Spain, the Commissioner's note was seen by some as a criticism of the CFSP representative, Spaniard Javier Solana.
The Commission's spokesman commented that Mr Patten had reacted calmly to these reactions. His goal was to launch a debate and, at first sight, he seems to have attained it. The spokesman added that: a) the Commission has no official position on the issues discussed by Mr Patten because it has not yet had the opportunity to discuss it (but will do so shortly); b) the Commissioner's note contains no criticism of Mr Solana. Mr Patten "welcomed" the creation of the CFSP High Representative post, but limited his remarks to stating that it has created some institutional complications; c) the Commission's claim to a foreign policy role is based on the Treaties.
Mr Patten's note is doubtless atypical in nature in comparison to the usual model of Community documents. It observes that, in today's world, people do not call on God to deliver them from evil, but on the EU; it notes that certain Member State "invitations" to the Commission are more like Mafia offers that cannot be refused, and so on. As to substance, the paper raises several fundamental questions: the Commission's role in EU external relations (including in relation to arms production and trade); the necessity of establishing a rigorous hierarchy of priorities; the requirement of making available financial means corresponding to objectives.
Given the unusual nature of this document and its significance, EUROPE will be reproducing it in full in our EUROPE Documents series; it will be annexed to the bulletin dated 10 June, in both French and English.